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Marinette Marine To Lay Keel of LCS 21

Issue Date: February 21, 2018

Keel laying ceremonies for LCS 21, the future USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul, will be held at 3 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 22 at the Fincantieri Marinette Marine Shipyard in Marinette. Ship sponsor Jodi J. Greene will authenticate the keel during the event. The keel is generally the first part of a ship's hull to be constructed, and laying the keel is often marked with a ceremonial event.

LCS 21, the future Minneapolis-Saint Paul, is the 11th Freedom-variant Littoral Combat Ship and the 21st in the class. The Littoral Combat Ship is designed to defeat growing littoral threats and provide access and dominance in the coastal water battle space. A fast, maneuverable surface combatant, the LCS provides s capabilities and operational flexibility for focused missions including mine-clearing, anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare.

The Lockheed Martin and Fincantieri Marinette Marine team is currently in full-rate production of the Freedom-variant of the LCS, and has delivered five ships to the U.S. Navy to date. The future USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul is one of eight ships in various stages of construction at the Marinette shipyard, with one more in long-lead production.